Off-Road Driving Tips

Your SUV wasn’t designed to spend its days on pavement alone. It can and should take you farther, but not before you consider some basic off-road driving tips. Off-road driving involves healthy doses of common sense, patience and skill. It’s not mastered instantly, but with practice, you’ll be driving more safely and ultimately having more fun.

We had the opportunity to drive with some of the best, the instructors of the Land Rover Experience driving school in Manchester, Vermont (with other locations as well). Without their guidance, we would’ve terminally buried ourselves in minutes. So, before storming Vermont’s Class 4 roads, Colorado’s Argentine Pass or California’s Rubicon Trail, we highly recommend you check out their programs. At the very least, talk to other guys with experience and follow their advice as you develop your ability.

While you’re at it, consider our off-road driving tips. They aren’t all-inclusive for every possible season, surface or vehicle. They will, however, give you a taste of what to expect, teach you how to get there and — just as vital — how to get back.

T.R.E.A.D. lightly

Our off-road driving won’t make you a hero within the Sierra Club, but neither will the environmentally inconsiderate act of bathing. Still, you can be a Better Man through environmentally and socially responsible off-road driving. Tread Lightly! is the organization that asks you to Travel responsibly; Respect the rights of others; Educate yourself; Avoid sensitive areas; Do your part. The website has a lot of useful off-road driving tips and videos. Mud Bogging 101 is not among them.

Know your vehicle’s limits

Don’t think your stock SUV is immune to anything you throw at it. At last check, rocks and tresses could still bend steel. Even the hardcore guys who put tens of thousands into modifying their rock crawlers can and do break down. So before you turn a wheel on the simplest of trails (otherwise known as green laning), know what your vehicle can do and play within the limits. A huge part of that is having a properly maintained vehicle and knowing your minimum ground clearance (typically, it’s at the differential).

(Wheel) position is everything

Whether you’re crossing mud, sand, snow or just a dirt trail, you always need to be aware of your front wheels’ position. It sounds simple enough; if the steering wheel’s straight, so are your fronts, right? Not necessarily. It’s easy to forget when you frantically whip the wheel to overcorrect (that’s a no-no, by the way). There’s no shame in leaning out the window to double-check if you get stuck or are about to take on a difficult stretch. While you’re at it, minimize your steering input, steer in small increments and keep your thumbs on the outside of the steering wheel. Kickback can cause sudden jerks that break thumbs if they’re wrapped around the inside.

These next off-roading tips will keep you off the beaten path and out of the ditch...